Floral display rack



Jan; 15, 1957 A. R. DOBRIN ETAL 2,777,584

FLORAL DISPLAY RACK' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 20, 1955 y INVENTORS /9 MOQQ/S LAA/GE' AND BY A; m/ @044 0 Pea/2W ATTOENEY Jan. 15, 1957 o x ETAL 2,777,584

FLORAL DISPLAY RACK Filed 001;. 20, 1-955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN T0125.

F 7 Maze/5 LAM/GE 4w United States Patent FLORAL DISPLAY RACK Alvin Richard Dobrin, Beachwood Village, and Morris Lange, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application October 20, 1955, Serial No. 541,771

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-137) Thisv invention relates to display racks and particularly to a rack for displaying floral arrangements at funerals or other occasions where a background of banked plants or cut flowers is required.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mobile rack upon which baskets of flowers or potted plants may be displayed.

Another object is to provide a rack of the type stated having a plurality of supporting platforms which may be individually positioned to properly display fioral arrangements of different sizes.

A further object is to provide a rack having a plurality of similar units that can be combined or withdrawn to accommodate displays of differing size, either large or small.

Still another object is to provide a. device that .is simple in structure, easy to assemble or disassemble and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the floral display rack that is the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view, partly in section, of one of the load carrying platforms and its associated inclined track;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a shoe and a portion of its attached platform supporting post;

Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the lower end of one of the tracks;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the shoe taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of the Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the shoe before assembly; and

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the shoe and its associated track, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 7--7 of the Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the Figure 1 of the drawings, there is seen the assembled display rack that is the subject of this invention, broadly indicated by the reference numeral 10.

In its preferred form, the base 11 and upright support 12 are fabricated from tubular stock, although it is to be understood that any suitably shaped material having the required physical characteristics may be used.

The base is mounted on casters 13 which enables the unit to be easily moved about. This is especially desirable in funeral homes wherein a succession of funerals are to take place in a single day, since floral arrangements can be set up ahead of time on the rack and the complete display moved into place at the proper time.

A plurality of tracks, broadly indicated by reference numeral 14 are positioned in an inclined plane between the forward edge of the base 11 and the top edge of the upright 12. The tracks 14 are preferably secured to "ice the base and upright by means of resilient clips so that the tracks may be laterally spaced thereon in accordance with the size of the individual potted plants or flower baskets in a particular situation.

As illustrated in Figure l, the display rack has four tracks 14 but it is to be understood that fewer or more tracks may be used within the limits of the unit.

Each track 14 has the cross-sectional configuration most clearly seen in the Figure 4. Each track has an upset central portion 15 bounded by laterally extending infaced channels 16.

Reference numeral 21 indicates the load carrying platform upon which the individual floral units are supported. These platforms may be of any suitable size or shape, with their top surfaces parallel to the ground so that the units will be supported without danger of sliding off. The platforms 21 are supported on upright posts 20 which engage the tracks 14 through shoes, broadly indicated by reference numeral 17.

The shoes are shaped from sheet material to the configuration best seen in Figure 6. Each shoe 17 has an upset central portion 18 bounded by laterally extending feet 19. The shape of the shoe is such that the upset central portion 18 will fit over and mate with the upset central portion 15 of the track 14, as seen in Figure 7.

When so positioned, the shoe feet 19 slidably interfit the track channels 16. It will be apparent that the so-interfitted shoe 17 is free to slide longitudinally of the inclined track 14, while being constrained from disengagement with the track by the infaced channels 16. The bottom edge of the support post 20 is cut at an angle corresponding, to the slope angle of the track '14 so that when the post 29 is welded, or otherwise joined to the shoe, the platform 21 will be supported in a level condition, as seen in Figures 1 and 2.

Reference numeral 22 indicates a locking lever pivotally mounted on the post 20 through a pivot pin 23. The lever is biased by spring 24 to normally tilt downward so that its foot end 26 will press against the upset center portion 15 of the track 14, as seen in Figure 2.

In its normal position, the lever foot 26 is in frictional engagement with the track 14 and will resist any downward movement of the shoe 17 and its supported load, relative to the inclined track 14. However, if pressure is brought to bear on the thumb plate 25 of the lever 22, the lever may be tilted on the pin 23 to tilt the foot 26 forward and out of engagement with the upset central portion 15, as indicated by reference numeral 26a. When the lock lever 22 is in this alternate or second position, the shoe is free to move downwardly of the track 14 in response to the force of gravity. However, upon release of the thumb plate 25, the lever foot will be automatically biased against the central portion 15 of the track 14 to lock the shoe in the new position.

It will be apparent from the normal downwardly faced position of the foot 26, that the shoe 17 may be moved upwardly of the track, freely, against the force of gravity. However, as soon as the upwardly directed face is removed, any tendency toward downward movement of the shoe and its supported load will be checked by the spring biased lever foot 26 and the shoe will remain stationary in the new position.

Any number of load supporting assemblies may be mounted on tracks by sliding them on from the ends thereof. The platforms are disposed up or down the tracks as illustrated in Figure l, as required to set off the supported display units in the proper manner to effect a pleasing overall appearance.

It will now be clear that there is provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth. While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A display rack of the class described, comprising in combination, a base, an upright support on the base, an inclined track sloped from the top of the support to the base, the said track having an upset central portion bounded by laterally extending infaced channels, a shoe slidably mounted on said track and movable longitudinally thereof, the said shoe having an upset central portion mating with the central portion of the track and laterally extending feet slidably engaged in the track channels, a load carrying platform, including a supporting post, mounted on the central portion of the shoe, and spring biased locking means mounted on the post, frictionally engagcable with the central portion of the track, to hold the shoe and supported platform against the pull of gravity in adjusted positions on the inclined track.

2. A display rack of the class described, comprising in combination, a base, an upright support on the base, an inclined track sloped from the top of the support to the base, the said track having an upset central portion bounded by laterally extending infaced channels, a shoe slidably mounted on said track and movable longitudinally thereof, the said shoe having an upset central portion mating with the central portion of the track and laterally extending feet slidably engaged in the track channels, a load carrying platform, including a supporting post, mounted on the central portion of the shoe, and a. locking foot pivotally mounted on the post and spring biased to frictionally bear, at its lower end, against the central portion of the track to normally hold the shoe and supported platform against the pull of gravity on the inclined track, the locking foot being manually tiltable to a second position wherein its lower edge is clear of the central portion of the track thereby releasing the shoe for free movement downward of the inclined track.

3. A display rack of the class described, comprising in combination, a base, an upright support on the base comprising a rectangular frame, a plurality of inclined tracks sloped from the top of the support to the base, each of said tracks having an upset central portion bounded by laterally extending infaced channels, a plurality of shoes slidably mounted on each of said tracks and movable longitudinally thereof, each of said shoes having an upset central portion mating with the central portion of the track and laterally extending feet slidably engaged in the track channels, a load carrying platform, including a supporting post, mounted on the central portion of each shoe, and a locking foot pivotally mounted on each post and spring biased to frictionally hear, at its lower end, againstthe central portion of its associated track to normally hold the shoe and supported platform against the pull of gravity on the inclined track, each locking foot being manually tiltable to a second position wherein its lower edge is clear of the central position of its associated track thereby releasing its shoe for free movement downward of its inclined track.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 108,046 Palmenberg Oct. 4, 1870 381,016 Hollyday Apr. 10, 1888 621,856 Schwarz Mar. 28, 1899 929,291 Dawkins July 27, 1909 1,712,571 Levin May 14, 1929 2,050,638 Tuthill Aug. 11, 1936 2,466,861 Peterson v Apr. 12, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,129 Great Britain June 1, 1911 

